So heres my manifesto, stating just a few of the many points why its a good idea to leave everything to the last minute.

Layout wise, I did start laying it out on the computer, but it feels too designed. I want this to look last minute, so I am going to photograph my notepad with this manifesto scribbled down. And things placed around the edge of the notepad which refer to what I’ve written, like a coffee mug, scientologist booklet, images of me scuba diving etc.

A last Minute Manifesto

This manifesto was produced in much the same way almost every piece of work I’ve created over the last few years was. Last minute, early hours and high on caffeine.

1. Ideas.
Waiting all that time before starting your designs gives you the best possible chance of having a brain wave and coming out with something crazy no one else thought of. Or, take your mates idea and do it better. Either way, starting early makes you a guaranteed loser. It’s like showing your cards first.

2. Spare time. Go to Argentina, learn Italian, become a scientologist, form a cult, make a table, go scuba diving… Think of all the things you could do with the time you didn’t spend working. You could be Elvis Presley, but instead you’re stuck at your desk stressing about leading, kerning, tracking, and justification.

3. Efficiency If you’ve got two weeks to get a design piece out the door, your bound to be sat around, eating, drinking, walking, sleeping, and other time wasting activity’s. If you’ve got ten minutes, you won’t be taking any breaks, you will work till the work is done.

4. Satisfaction Boost your ego by proving you can do stuff in five minutes, then think “I did that in five minutes, just imagine what I could do with a whole day”.

5. Dedication Giving yourself a few minutes to do what should have been produced over a week shows your willing to push yourself. Show them you don’t take the easy road, you challenge yourself. For you, getting work done is a race against the clock.

6. Excuses If everyone you know shuns your work, it won’t matter. You can hold your head high in the knowledge that you spent a tenth of the time they did getting it finished. Top that by telling yourself you could of made something better than anyone else had you decided to put a bit more time in, and that really, it was only time holding you back.

Couldn’t do a whole post without any images, so heres a gorgeous picture I took of Jon looking miserable for his manifesto.